Before Time
by FlamboyantTrainwreck
Summary: Serena Stark was chosen as sacrifice in her community as punishment for Tony's pride. As she is prepared to meet her fate she finds it was twisted and she was saved. But did this ancient god truly save her?
1. Chapter 1

A long time ago in an ancient land, powerful beings known only as Gods roamed the Earth, in full power. The humans who managed to colonise and flourish were able to by making peace and giving offerings to the various different Gods among them.

Some worshipped the fearsome black panther, some to a great man of thunder, and others hailed to the mighty kraken. We gave our graces to the great serpent. We placed our belief in eternity, in wholeness, in ouroboros.

Everyone did their part in the community to keep it working as a unit. Serena did her part too. She took after her mother. The great and beautiful Maria. She was a dancer, a songstress, a teller of stories and so that's what Serena became.

Everyone had their place in the delicate working mechanism of their settlement. Everyone except, unfortunately... Her older brother.

A loud explosion thundered over the once quiet atmosphere. While people jumped with fear, Serena bit her lip and took off running. She ran towards the explosion, just in time to see Tony running out of a smokey cloud, coughing and waving his arms to try to clear the smoke.

"Tony! Not again!" Serena scolded as her eyes scanned his body for injuries. "Another invention?"

"I was SURE I had it this time." Tony grinned his cheshire cat grin.

"Tony you are going to get in trouble again." Serena frowned. "Whatever trouble will be worth it Serena. This IS the future! We're never going to get anywhere if we stick with the old ways and no one will ever get anywhere without first getting into trouble."

"I know I know, 'life is about progression' right?" Serena said as she sighed, she loved her brother, really she did! But the machines, the inventions, the alchemy, it was trouble. Tony originally followed in the footsteps of their late father, building weapons to make our armies stronger, protect our people. No one dared invade us lightly. Except, things happened... Bad things... and after Obadiah had died Tony changed.

Admittingly she liked her brothers new attitude and ambitions but no one else did. Especially the elders and the Chief.

"Don't worry sweets! I know what I did wrong this time!" Tony said still grinning like a megalomaniac. "Next time!" He started muttering to himself, equations and things she didn't entirely understand.

"ANTHONY!"

Serena and Tony both flinched and looked at eachother as they heard the deep bellow of their Chiefs voice boom in anger.

l-l

"SEVEN INCIDENTS IN A SINGLE CYCLE!" The Chief seethed in anger as he chastised Tony. A small group had formed to watch as Tony took it all in stride with an aloof attitude. So he was getting yelled at? Nothing new.

"If it weren't for who your father was you would of been exiled years ago!" When the Chief said that, it struck a nerve deep down inside him. Raw and exposed.

"I DON'T need the protection of the memory of my father!" Tony snapped as he glared at the chief. "I'm going to do great things and I won't be held back by his name!" Tony straightened his shoulders, turning his back to the Chief and towards the people. "I, ANTHONY DISOWN THE NAME OF MY FATHER!"

"Choose your next words wisely boy." The Chief said, dangerously low as he grabbed Tony's shoulder, forcing Tony to face him as he narrowed his eyes.

Tony stood firm and unafraid, glaring right back. "I revoke the protection he bares on me." He spat back, pulling his shoulder from the Chief's grip and walked away.

"You'll pay dearly for this boy."

"I'd like to see you try." Tony challenged as he continued to walk, pushing through the crowd that had gathered, who were murmuring and whispering amongst themselves.

l-l

"TONY!" Serena exclaimed in exasperation, entering his lab to see him hunched over his desk. "You are a CHILD!"

"Well I'm older then you, so that makes YOU a baby!" Tony said, back to her as he waved her off.

"TONY!" She quickly broke the distance between them and smacked his shoulder.

"Ow! Hey I'm sensitive..." He whined.

"This is serious! You heard the Chief! One wrong move and you'll be exiled!" She was almost in tears at the thought of her brother exiled. All the different terrains and settlements were encircled around a great forest where the great Gods lived. Exile meant certain death. No one who entered the forest lived to tell the tale. The great forest was massive, some say it contained whole worlds within, each settlement had a terrain, a territory that was protected by a God. Our community is assured safety if our God is appeased.

"Calm down sweets I can survive an exile. I always have a plan remember." Tony winked at his sister.

"Oh." Serena placed her hands on her hips. "You expect to be able to just walk into the realm of the Gods and be fine?"

"I have a plan." Tony patted the lump of metal on his table lovingly.

"It better be a good one because if you get exiled I get exiled." Serena's eyes softened. "You promised remember." Her voice cracked. "Together forever right?"

Tony flinched physically at her words and turned from his work bench to look at her. Looking at the tears sliding down Serena's cheeks he saw not a young woman, but his frightened baby sister. The baby sister he promised to look after when their parents died. He delicately took her into his arms in a protective embrace.

"Together forever."


	2. Chapter 2

Tony awoke, with a groan to the sound of heavy beating drums. He sat up and cracked his back against his chair. He looked around his work bench searching for sustenance. Scanning his lab he found only a few blueberries left that he could see.

That was strange...

Usually Serena would of bought him something fresh to eat by now. Come to think of it she would of dragged him out for some sun by now?

...

How many days had he been in here now?

Tony pulled himself up, feeling his stiff body ache in protest. He scratched the stubble at his chin and shielded his eyes from the sun.

He must of really lost track of time... He didn't remember the time of the sacrifice being so soon?

Tony tended to stay away from the entire sacrificial ceremony. It was something he never believed in. A reason why he believed the time of Gods should come to an end and the time of man to take control of his own destiny should reign.

Serena is probably preforming for the ceremony. He knew she too hated it but it was her role. He weaved his way through the dancing and cheering crowd as he looked for her.

His eyes widened and his heart practically stopped when he saw Serena. She was dressed finely in flowing white garbs, veiled and donned in jewellery. She was dressed for sacrifice! He began pushing through the crowd, no longer caring if he was shoving or elbowing people. As he got closer he saw her hands bound behind her back. Guards surrounding her as the Chief stood beside her.

Serena had a blank expression but Tony could tell she was trying her hardest not too cry.

"Serena!"

Tony saw red and felt rage overtake him.

"STOP! What do you think you're doing!?" Tony reached the front of the crowd, two warriors intercepted him.

The elder looked towards Tony with a dour expression.

"Preparing the sacrifice Anthony. As we always do."

"Serena is exempt from sacrifice!" Tony pushed his way passed a warrior only to be stopped by two more guards.

"Serena WAS exempt Anthony. However if you recall you rescinded your fathers protection. After Howard passed, her care fell into your hands. You have lost his protection, so she has lost hers."

"You bastard!" Tony punched a guard, fighting his way to get towards the Chief. "She's been nothing but loyal!" Tony knew that the Chief was doing this as his punishment. How DARE he use Serena to get to Tony! "Let her go!"

Tony fought tooth and nail to reach his sister as she stared in horror. He was however far out numbered and a knock to the head sent him spiralling towards blackness, the last thing he saw was Serena blink back her tears as she called to him.

l-l

Serena put on a brave face. She would NOT let them see her break. She held her head up high and unabashed as six warriors in two lines began to lead her away after the Chief's speech. The crowd was cheering and praising the great serpent for blessing. Because surely sending such a valued and precious flower would bring them the greatest of gifts.

Seeing her reflection she had bit her lip, she had never seen herself so beautiful. It was a shame it was for her last hour.

l-l

The warriors lead her as deep into the forest as they had dared. Tying her to a grand tree, judging from its size she assumed it too be hundreds and hundreds of years old. Finally when the warriors left her and she was truly alone Serena slid to the ground, her shoulders began to shake as sobs racked through her.

She cried and wailed and and sobbed like a desperate woman, that was on her last chance. Who was going to look after Tony now? He would be doomed on his own surely.


	3. Chapter 3

Serena froze, hearing the ground rustle. She looked around, violently trying to shake herself free of her bindings. She spotted the coil of a large body, fear filled her as slowly a snake bigger then anything she could of possibly imagined made its way to the clearing she was in. In desperation she began tugging her bindings even harder, feeling a burn as it rubbed her skin raw.

The great snake God watched her, eyes gleaming before slinking slowly towards her. No matter how many depictions or stories or shrines she had seen, none of them prepared her to see the great serpent Ouroboros before her.

She was entranced by its eyes, glowing a bright red, she saw herself reflected in the scarlet red orbs, its upper half rose high above the ground, it's tongue flickered out as it locked its gaze onto her. Serena pulled and pulled against her bindings and with luck on her side her wrist slid through and she was able to free herself and volt herself forward narrowly avoiding the serpents strike.

She stumbled forwards, quickly trying to get back on her feet. She scrambled up as the snake went to strike at her once more. She froze in fear knowing she'd be unable to escape this time. Her eyes widened and everything seemed to go in slow motion as she saw fangs coming toward her and the inside of its mouth closing in on her. It never reached her however, suddenly the great snake was pulled backwards and hurled away from her.

Serena looked with a mixture of shock and horror as suddenly before her she saw what she could only describe as was a great green giant being.

The other being had a grasp on Ouroboros' tail, pulling it backwards and swinging it aside. It's large body crashed against several trees, taking them out. Finding herself with no route of escape Serena hide behind one of the broken trunks and watched in a fascinated fear as the two impossible beings fought in front of her. Ouroboros had unhinged it's jaw and struck, the green behemoth had clamped one hand on Ouroboros' lower jaw and the other on its fang.

With a fierce roar the green beast of a man snapped Ouroboros' fang off. The screech of pain that Ouroboros made was a sound that Serena had never heard and will probably haunt her darkest of dreams from now on, from now on if she lived that is.

Ouroboros flinched back and began slinking away. The green behemoth snarled and puffed his chest out, almost as if he was daring the snake to try again. It turned to leave and Serena caught it's eye, when it was far away enough from the green god it struck with an almost lightning speed.

Serena cried out in excruciating pain as she felt Ouroboros' only remaining fang sink into her shoulder. Everything began to blur and feel unreal and the next thing she seemed to register was being flung out of its mouth as the behemoth had grabbed Ouroboros in a choke hold and pulled.

She felt her body break against the surface of water and she sank down. She was in too much pain to even attempt to swim, it was getting darker and darker as she saw red from the blood seeping out of her wounded shoulder. Her final thoughts as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate were of Tony, hoping and praying that somehow he would be okay and that he wouldn't mourn her too badly.

A large hand broke through the water and chased her limp body downward. It wove it's way under Serena and began to rise. Water rushed against her and suddenly she was out of the water, suddenly she seemed to be high in the sky and suddenly she was face to face with a large green heaving chest.

Using what little strength she had she sat up, hands laid behind her to support her as the beings fingers lightly curled around her, securing her in his grasp. She looked at him, not feeling terror but instead feeling curiosity? Gratitude? Shock and awe? She had no idea what she was feeling but the dizziness was starting to overtake her once more.

Serena smiled at him, he was so warm compared to her cold sopping frame. "Th-thank you."

Her world went black and she fell backward.

l-l

The next few hours? Days? She didn't know, but the next few times she awoke were hazy at best. Sometimes she saw the green beast, staring at her intensely, sometimes she saw nothing, sometimes she could swear she saw a curly haired man approaching her cautiously. Serena wasn't sure if she was dead, if she was alive or if she was stuck in the world in between. She wished the Gods would just hurry and choose her fate! She was getting sick of the unclarity and the waiting!

Finally Serena opened her eyes and it appeared she could raise her head without feeling her world spin. She felt the plush ground beneath her and looked down, taking note that she seemed to be situated on fine blankets and fleeced furs. She carefully tried to examine her shoulder, it hurt... it hurt terribly... But she seemed to be alive? It seemed to be healing at an unnatural pace? She knows she should be dead so how was this possible?

Serena looked around and her eyes landed on the large green beast of a man once more. Gripping the sheet nearest to her she pulled it closer, feebly using it as some sort of protection. She stared at him and he stared back. Finally she blinked and broke the gazing contest they seemed to be having.

"H-hello..."


End file.
